USE OF HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS UP 35 PERCENT

The number of Americans with insurance plans tied to health savings accounts has passed the 6 million mark, according to America's Health Insurance Plans. HSAs are tax-favored, individually owned savings accounts that can be used to pay for medical expenses in conjunction with a high-deductible insurance plan. About 6.1 million Americans were covered through HSA plans in January 2008, up 35 percent over the same period a year earlier.

The increasing popularity of HSAs is a result of managed care's failure, says John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis. adding that the best way to control health care costs is to put patients in control of more of their health care dollars.

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